Tractor lug



May 29, 1945. R. J. VAN DE HEY 2,377,195

'IRACTOR LUG Filed NQV. 8, 1945 INVENTOR ROCHE J. VAN DE HEY AT TORNEYS Patented May 29, 1945 TRAGTOR LUG RcheJ. Van De Hey, Manitowoc, Wis. Applicaton November 8, 1943, Serial NO. 509,414

2 Claims. (C1. 30145 'Ihis invention appertains to tractors and more particularlyto a novel wheel lug thereor.

One of the prirnary objects of myinvention is to provide a nevel spade lug for rubber tired tractor wheels, which Will insure proper traction for the wheels under conditions, where the rubber tires failto grip the surface over which the tractor is operatng, such as muddy orsoft ground and over wet or green grass.

Another salient object of my inventon is to provide a spade lug for tractor wheels which can becarried by the wheel at all times and which can be quickly and easily swung into an operative position to project beyond the tread of the tire or to an ino-perative position inwardly of the tire toward the hub of the wheel.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a single device which can be quckly ancl easily manipulated fox holding the spade lui; either in its operative or inoperative position.

A urther important object of my invention is to provide a device of the above charactrwhich will be drable and efficient in use, one that will be simple andeasy to manufacture and one which can be incorporatedwith a tractor wheel at a stnall cost without any change in the construction thereof.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel constrigction, arrangement and formation of -parts, as will be hereinafter more specficall'y describeol, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, sicle, elevational view of a tractor wheel showing my novel spade. lugs attached thereto, the lugs being shown swung totheir operatiVe position, parts of the view being shown breken away and in sectior1 to illustrate structural detail.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail, sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the drection of the arrows, the view showing one spade 1ug in its operative position in fu1l lines and in its inoperative position in dotted letter W indicates a tractor wheel and L my nevel spade lugs therefor.

The wheel W can be consideredof any approved type now employed by tractors and for the purpose of illustration have shown the wheel as including the disc body 5 carrying a rim 6 for a rubber tire1. My spade lugs L are mounted at equi-distantly spaced points around the wheel and as al] of the lugs are constructed the Same, only one will be clescrbed in detail.

Each of my spade lugs L includes an attaching bracket 8 which iswelded or otherwis secured to the outer face of the wheel body 5 adjacent to the rim 6. AS shown, bolts 9 are utilized for securing the bracket in position. Ihe bracket includes the attaching face plate portion lil, the outwardly and radially xtending body l, and the spade lug carrying plate [2. This plate |2 extends beyond the rim in close proxirnity to the outer wall of the tire Tand has ormed on its ou ter face spaced parallel guide ribs 13. The braclcet 8 is preferably reinforced by a strengthe1iing flange Id which extends from the attaching face plate H1 to the spade oarrying portion l2 along the body Il. The guide ribs I3 extend radially of the wheel and the ribs receive between the same the spade 1ug I5.

I provide novel means l6 for hingedly supporting the blade 15 and for latching the blade in its operative or inoperative position.

This means 16 includes a U-shaped bolt I'i having a 10ng leg 8 and a relatively short latch leg l9. 'Ihe legs |8 and |9 are connected by a bght portion 29. 'Ihe outer end of the long leg 18 is threaded fr a nut 2I, the purpose of which will be later set forth.

'Ihe spade lug I5 is braced by side plates 22 and these plates extend along the opposite sides of the lug I5 from the point thereof to the inner end thereof. These reinforcing plates 22 engage the outer faces of the guide ribs 13.

The guide ribs 13 acljacent to their transverse -center are provided with aligned openings 23 for receiving a hearing sleeve 24. The spade 1ug l5 and its strengthenng plates 22 are provided. with simlar openings 25 for receivin the hearing sleeve and consequently the spade lug can be swung on said sleeve. One end of the hearing sleeve is provided with a head 26 and the opposite end can be provicled with a nut 21 for holding the sleeve in place.

The long leg 18 of the U-shaped latch bolt I! is slidably mounted in the sleeve as is clearly shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

The guide ribs on each side of the openines 23 are provided with regstering openings 28 and 29 and the short leg I 9 of the latch bolt aan he selectively placed in either set of the openings 23 or 29, as may be desirecl. The blade I5 and its strengthening plates 22 beyond the pvot openings 25 are provided with latch openings 31) and these openings 30 are adapted to register with the openings 28 when the spade lug is in its operative position and are adapted to register with the openings 29 when the spade lug is in its inoperative position.

The U-shaped latch bolt IT can be shiftecl laterally to move the short leg l9 thereof out of the openings in the ribs |3 ancl the spade lug, so that the spade lug can be moved either to its operatve or inoperative position. An expansion spring 31 is coiled about the long leg 18 of the bolt and is oonfined between the nut 2! and the hearing sleeve 24 and this spring functions to hold the U-shaped bolt in a desired selected position. Tht nut 2| holds the spring 3! in place and can be turned to adjust the tension of the spring within certain limits.

Consdering that the blade or lug proper 45 is swung to its operative position as shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2, the short leg 19 of the U-shaped bolt U wil] extencl through the openings 28 of the guiole ribs and through the openings 3% of the spade lug. 'Ihus the spade lug will extend radially beyond the tire 1 and wll engage the ground ancl give the clesred traction to the wheel.

When it is no longer necessary to use the spade lugs, the long leg [8 of the latch bolt 11 is pushed inwardly against the tension of thespring 3! and the short leg IS will be moved away from the guide ribs |3 and out of the openings 28 and 3i. The spade lug can now be swung on the hearing sleeve inwarclly toward the hub and after the lug is so disposed, the bolt I? is turned so as to alig'n the short leg l9 with the openings 29 in the guide rbs 13. The long leg l8 can now be released so as to allo-w the short leg E9 to ride into the openings 29 in the guide ribs and in the openings 3!) in the spade lug. Hence the spade lug will be held. in its inoperative position against accidental swinging movement.

From the foregoing description, t can be seen that I have provcled a spade lug which can be carried by a tractor wheel and later swung to an inoperative or operative position as desred.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit 01 the scope of my nven tion, but what I claim as new is:

1. An attachment for tractor wheels comprising a supportng bracket having spaced parallel guicle ribs, a spade lug having ts inner end received between said ribs, the ribs being provided with aligned pivot openings and the inner end of saicl lug being also provided with a pivot opening, a U-shapecl bolt havin a long legand a short leg, the long leg being slidably mounted in the openings in the ribs and the blade, whereby the blade can be swung on said long leg to one side of the bracket or the other, sad ribs also having pairs of aligned openings on each side of the pivot opening and said lug being provided with a latch opening beyond the pivot opening for registration with either pair of said last mentioned openings, the short leg of the bolt being selectively movable into either pair of the last mentoneol openings of the ribs and through the latch opening in the lug, and spring means normally holding the short leg in a selected. position against accdental displacement.

2. An attachment for tractor wheels comprising a supporting bracket adapted to be secured at its inner end to a tractor wheel, the outer end of said. bracket being provided with a supporting plate, spaced parallel guide ribs formed On the plate having central transversely aliened openings, a spade 1ug inclucling a center blade ancl sicle reinforcing plates, the center blade being received between the rilos and the inner ends of the plates engaging the enter faces of the ribs,

the inner end of the center blade and plates being provided with algned openings, a hearing sleeve fitted in the openings in the ribs and spade lug, a Ushaped latch bolt having a long leg and a short leg, the long leg being slidably mounted in the hearing sleeve, said ribs also havng pairs of aligned openings on each side of the hearing sleeve and said lug being provided with latch openings beyond the sleeVe or registration with either pair of saicl last mentioned openings, the short leg of the bolt being selectively movable into either pair of the last mentioned openings of the rbs and through the latch openings in the lug, ancl spring means normally holding the short le in a selectecl position against accidental displacement.

ROCI-IE J. VAN DE HEY. 

